Siblings Dan and Morgan Sevigny founded Christmas Tree Brooklyn back in 2011. Since that time, thousands of New Yorkers have used their service to order a delivered Christmas tree before the holidays or to have it picked up to be recycled afterwards. But this year, the pair expanded their services by offering New York City residents an easy way to donate clothing, toys, and canned foods without ever leaving their homes.

By taking over the grunt work of donating, everyone is able to benefit. Dan Sevigny highlighted that “it’s so important to help those in need in your community, and this is such an easy way to do that.” The siblings delivered all of the donated goods — nearly $20,000 worth this year — to Covenant House, a shelter for homeless young adults.
Their efforts also allowed some residents at Covenant House to see a Christmas tree for the first time. While a single urban tree can help residents save up to $273 a year in energy costs, will help fight pollution and erosion, and provides shelter for wildlife, evergreens are a rare sight in the Big Apple. The pair donated a Christmas tree to Covenant House for the holidays, much to the delight of the residents. Destiny, an 18-year-old living at the shelter, said that having the tree made the shelter feel warm, comfortable, and homey.

For those looking to get rid of their trees after the holidays are over, the pair picks up trees from residences and takes them to be recycled. Fortunately, NYC makes it fairly easy to recycle your Christmas tree, as the city has designated spots in parks where you can have it made into mulch. The city also recycles trees that are left out on the curb from January 3-14.

While these services are free of charge, the siblings charge $49 to remove trees that are three to six feet tall. Prices increase after that and are dependent upon the height of the tree. But unlike the services the city offers, the pair can offer more convenience for homeowners — and they clean up the messes these trees leave behind.

“Trees get dry, make a huge mess, leaving needles in the house, stairs, lobby — landlords get mad. We clean it all up as we leave,” says Dan Sevigny.

Whether or not some New Yorkers feel the cost of convenience is worth it, at least there are ample ways to recycle your Christmas tree and give back to the environment — and to get donations to a worthy cause this season.